Sunday, July 26, 2015

As it was a big event for a boy of eight, after
50 years has gone by, glimpses of the events on trip were still vivid.

The date
written at the back of the photographs helped pinpoint the trip to the month of
May.

Though it would be 3 months before Singapore separated from
the Federation of Malaysia, when we reached the Johor-Singapore causeway that
morning, I remember Dad and Uncle Hia talking and if they needed documents to
enter the island state.As I recalled
this conversation of the adults, I had thought that the trip was made post
August 1965.However, the date at the
back of the photo, help to clear the doubt and point to May.

The journey started the evening before by car from our
hometown in Menglembu. We travelled in a Toyota owned by 5th uncle.

The event for the trip was that 5th uncle’s second
child, a son of a few months old was found to have medical problem and was
recommended for treatment at the Singapore General Hospital. He married in May27, 1962, and the first child
was a baby girl. The mother would be flying from Ipoh to Singapore in a day or
two.Our contingent would travel down
early so asto meet mother with baby when they arrived in the city state.

As dad was familiar with Singapore as he had visited the city a number of times,
5th uncle had probably asked him to help on the trip.

The members travelling by car were Dad and Uncle Hia, mum
and 1st aunt, 4th brother and myself – 4 adults and two
young boys.

As dad was managing the Shell petrol station business then,
the car was checked and filled full tank at the petrol station early that
evening.We left after dinner and the
journey took us 12 hours or so.

I slept most of the journey as we were travelling by
night.As we headed south, we had to
cross the Muar river on a car ferry, as there was no bridge then.

We are travelling in the dark most thro the night, and I
recall on reaching Ayer Itam we came to a lighted multistory building, a sort
of a land mark of sort at a turning where we turn right on our south bound ourney.

We arrived in Johor Bharu at dawn, and headed to the
causeway to clear the checkpoint.It was
there where the conversation if a pass or paperwork was need to enter the city
state.

Lion city

Among the places -

Hotel at Tanjong Pagar

We stayed at the 4 storey Tian Yi Jing
Hotel天一景酒店at Peck Seah Street. The escalator
had the double layer fence type gate.The rooms had ceiling fans, and windows with half-curtain.

I remember we leftpiece of clothing behind at the hotel. It was
my home made jacket by mum (冷衫).

Kereta Ayer

Recall that we had dinner at the open air
food center at the busy Peal Center area
–珍珠坊.
A vagabond unkempt beggar with long hair
was grabbing the leftover food in the next table with his bare hands.

Haw Par Villa

Among the many legendary and mythical
figures from Chinese history and folklore that dad narrated.I
learnt of Sumu tending to flock of sheep
while in exile in Siberia, 蘇武牧, of Jiang Taigong fishing with the bait above water, 姜太公钓鱼。There
was the infamous 18 levels of hell, punishment meted out according to the degree
of severity of sins and immorality committed while in mortal life.

The visit to Haw Par Villa perhaps planted
the latent interest in Chinese history and culture in this young mind.

Singapore General Hospital

While the elders we at the medical center,
we wandered outside the building.I
recall next to the ward was a steep grassy slope.This was probably the next facing the sid of
Outram-Tiong Baru.

Well, that was the first trip to Singapore 50 years ago in 1965. The next trip to the Lion City was eight years later in 1973.It was a vacation trip organized by the school. This time around we needed a passport.

Postscript

i) - Dad’s early travel to/thro Singapore

In June 1940, as a member of the Ipoh Yuke Choy School high
school graduation class he visited Singapore and stayed at the YinWo Hakka
Association.

In Oct 1948, on his journey with grandmother to Meixian,
Songkou in 1948to attend to
grandfather’s late estate he would have transited in Singapore. A few years
later and probably in 1951-52, he accompanied 6th uncle in transit
at Singapore on his way to New China.

Perhaps his first trip was around 1928, when he was 4 years
old.He probably transited in Singapore
while on his journey to the home village in China, with 2nd grandaunt.

ii) Hotels in Tanjong Pagar

The Chinese hotels in Tanjong Pagar - 新亚旅店and 天一景weretrusted hotels the family stayed when they transit
in Singapore on their way to China home village before the War.

This was probably for the final journey of grandpa to China,
after a sojourn of close to 50 years in Nanyang. Among the members of this trip
were sons, 4th uncle, 5th uncle , and grandson – Brother Pang 鑫权.

In the 1960’s and 70’s, the padang in Menglembu, adjacent to
the Wan Hua Primary School, would be a
hive of activities in the early evening from 5 pm.Youngsters from around town, the re-grouping area and as far away as Bukit Merah would gather there for evening of soccer.

Among this cohort, there were three brothers, namely Ku Li, Fei Lou Zhong, Ah Boot. The eldest Ku-li was 20 years old, the 2nd brother Fei-lou
Zhong was 18 and the 3rd, Ah-Boot was 16 years old then. The soccer kaki's would visit the home of the brothers and they were good buddies.

Ku-Li and Ah-Boot went on to play for the Perak team. Both
of them were in the Perak team that won the FAM cup in 1970, beating Kelantan
2-0.

Ah-Boot made it to the national team.In 1969, he played for the Malaysian team in
the Asian Youth Football Tournament in Bangkok. The AYFT was the beginning of the many travels
that his football career would bring him to.It was Tokyo in 1970 and Manila in 1971.

In 1972 he was a member of the Malaysian football team to the
Munich Olympic.On his return from the
Olympics, he proceeded to Hong Kong and started his professional soccer, first with
the Caroline Hill Football Club .

Fast forward, 2015 –

The afternoon heat has mellowed. The padang is as verdant.
The single story assembly hall is still there in the same location at the far
end of the padang beside the road.

Many of the garden houses 菜园屋, next
to the padang, ( wooden house with zinc roof surrounded with a small garden )
are still there.They have stood there
for 60 years and more, witnessing many a generation of youngsters playing
soccer.

The goal posts are no longer around.Where have all the youngsters gone?